Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-27
erAnoiNe ON THEN HEADS.
An Amusing Incident In the freach De
partment Of Public Instruction.


The classic ancCdote OF Cardinal Richie
lien wing with a Courtier to sec who could
kick the highest has Just received a mod
crn Endorsement in an incident that oc-
CURED in the department of public in
struction Among The employees Of the
government in this department are a
couple of Young men who dabble in Liter
aturr. one having published Il volume of
poems and the other having produced one
or two plays They are lively young fel-
lows and great friends. The pressure OF
duty is no stronger on public officials in
France than il is in America, and they
find much time for the writing of their
ambitious effusiOns between whiles as they
work They also find time for a reason
able amount OF rest and recreation. One
dav they took it into their heads 10 try
athletic exercise TO while away half all
hour In moment both were OH the
floor hard at work in that interesting
game pulling up A walking stick
served for the piece de resistance, so To
speak.
After demonstrating that the poet could
null M the dramatiSt every time, they
tried sitting down on one foot, the other
being kept UfT the floor during the whole
process OF sinking and getting up again.
This WAS the dramatist : strong hold, and
the poet was nowhere. Il C,n stand on
my head longer than You can, anyway,
said the poet. Il lay TIE price Of lunch
Won can't" retorted the dramatist.
fellow emplnve was called in Ia umpire the
test As they were neither OF them eX-
pert tumhlers. they leaned themselves
against the wall While they were in this
picturesque attitude who should come i'll
al the door but the minister of education!
4 member Of the Cabinet-the head Of the
department. find them i'll such position
Horrors! The young man who held thi
watch fied inContinently. bnt the two rte
yersed contestants could rot see who I,
was that had entered, and did not budg =.
But they had no opportunity to move be
fore the minister. taking in the situation
and its significance. exclaimed: Remain
where YOU are. gentlemen. | can beat yOu
both. " OF came HI; coat, aud, with a
folio of documents, was placed upon a
chair, and in anOthc! instant he had stood
himself on his heat i!"ar the two clerks.
They recognized his voice, and in their as
tonishment came tumblng down. The
minister however. remained heels up
against the wall, perfectly imperturbable,
while the clerks looked at each other in
silent bewilderment and some terror.
Presently the ministerial body relaxed, the
heels came down and the head OF the de-
partment resumed his normal attitude.
You see. gentlemen. he said blandly,
| endured it longer than either of you.
The minister was red in the face from his
exercise and the clerks from their confu-
sion, but they knew enough not to mar
the effects of the scene by apologizinQ for
their conduct That would have implied
that the head of the department had COM
mitted an error also, but after he had con
tinued his way they took stern resolve
never. never to I've caught mapping again
with their heels in the air during office
hours. Paris Cor. Philadelphia Times.